Stray Dog Carries Injured Buddy in His Mouth Until Both Are Rescued

It may be a love story for the ages. One is a lab/pit bull mix, the other is a thatchy, scruffy looking longhaired chihuahua mix. Together, they’re the best friends you’ll ever meet.

The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department call the pair Joanie and Chachi. Someone noticed the two dogs wandering in a Savannah, Ga. neighborhood in mid-July and called Animal Control. The dogs did tend to attract attention — the larger dog was carrying around the smaller dog in her mouth.

It didn’t take long for Animal Control to notice that Chachi, the chihuahua, had seriously hurt his left eye.

“When we got on scene and examined it a little bit closer, we found out that it was a pretty significant injury and that Chachi was in quite a bit of pain,” Animal Control Officer Christina Sutherin told SavannahNow.

“He couldn’t see out of his left side, and to compensate for that, Joanie felt the need to pick him up and carry him around wherever she felt the need to go. So he was kind of her accessory, so to speak,” Sutherin added.

Joanie also stopped periodically, put Chachi down, and carefully licked his injured eye. She took care of him as best she could.

Unfortunately, Chachi’s eye was so badly injured that a veterinarian had to remove it. That meant a few days of separation for the two friends. Joanie and Chachi were happily reunited on July 22, amid much licking, wiggling and whimpering. Chachi has only one eye now, but that hasn’t dampened his spirit a bit.

The two dogs unquestionably care deeply for one another. Hopes ran high that they could find a new home together.

“They seem very bonded,” Sutherin said. “Joanie doesn’t like going anywhere without Chachi and Chachi doesn’t mind Joanie using him as an accessory. So if we could find a home ideally for the two of them, we think that would be best, both for them and for our spirits as well.”

Joanie and Chachi’s story went viral soon after it broke on July 16. Who can resist a couple of cute doggy buddies? The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department’s Facebook page was deluged with posts from people from as far away as California who offered to fly to Georgia to adopt the adorable pair.

“It’s not every day we get to see such devotion between two special dogs like this,” Sutherin told WJCL. “They are both such sweet animals. But the relationship they share just sets them apart. It would be wonderful if we could find a home that could take both of them. But that is not always possible.”

In this case, though, it’s completely possible. Prepare for happiness, everyone. Joanie and Chachi have found a new forever home – together.

They’ll be headed to Florida in August, just as soon as they complete the post-inoculation waiting period required by state law to allow them to cross state lines. These two intrepid buddies who need to be together will get to live out the rest of their lives playing side by side in the sun, happy and safe.

Florida Care2 readers, if you see a white lab/pit bull mix carrying around a chihuahua his mouth, you’ll know exactly who they are. Tell them we said hi.